


it’s nice to have a friend

by azumarheart



Series: The Aftermath [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Queer Character, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, For the most part, Found Family, Gay Will Byers, Gen, Lesbian Robin Buckley, Missing Scene, Queer Families, Will and Robin’s Queer Connection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-08 03:55:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20829002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azumarheart/pseuds/azumarheart
Summary: Will Byers. A name whispered around town, deemed the Zombie Kid by elementary and high school students alike, a mystery and ‘freak’ rolled into one. Only a name, a glimpse of a face, and rumors upon rumors. He came in multiple times over summer with his friends to sneak through the back of Scoops Ahoy, courtesy of Steve, but he always stuck to the back and kept quiet.That was all Robin knew about him.





	it’s nice to have a friend

**Author's Note:**

> A Robin & Will gay buddies fic!! Are you as excited as I am!? 
> 
> I genuinely need this to be a thing next season please and thank you!
> 
> Also gays 100% can sense each other. I speak from experience. 
> 
> As always, please give kudos and comment if you enjoyed!

Will Byers. A name whispered around town, deemed the Zombie Kid by elementary and high school students alike, a mystery and ‘freak’ rolled into one. Only a name, a glimpse of a face, and rumors upon rumors. He came in multiple times over summer with his friends to sneak through the back of Scoops Ahoy, courtesy of Steve, but he always stuck to the back and kept quiet. 

That was all Robin knew about him. 

When Will Byers rolled into Starcourt, flanked by his friends, she didn’t know what to expect. 

Well, mainly she was focused on the fact that the girl at the front of the group had just thrown a car with her fucking mind, instantly killing the Russians. But when the kids showed up over the railing, Dustin fist-pumping and Steve sighing out an exhausted ‘finally’, she spotted Will Byers and instantly was intrigued. 

The kids came down from the top floor, greeting Dustin and Steve, and trying to explain everything that had been going on. Robin absorbed the information like a sponge, matching the details with the stories Steve had told her while they walked down that endless hallway in the Russian bunker. 

Yes, she spared a look at Nancy Wheeler, who was looking far too pretty for the chaos going on, but she was focused on trying to help. Okay maybe a second look too, but she still had drugs in her system, it wasn’t her fault. 

The third look was totally her own fault though. 

Before Robin could really get a gauge on everyone’s personalities, Eleven was suddenly dropping to the floor. And suddenly Jonathan Byers was moments from performing surgery on her with a huge butcher knife, but then Eleven mind-lifted the mush monster right out of her. 

Robin had to take a moment to breathe and confirm she wasn’t hallucinating.

Then the adults showed up finally, lessening some of the tension that had been stuck in her shoulders for hours probably. Then it was preparation for battle, and some down time.

While Steve caught up with the kids, Robin sat and observed. Silently observing was one of her best skills. 

She noticed that Erica’s brother, Lucas, was fiercely protective. If the way he was chewing Erica out gave any indication. His eyes shot over to his friends occasionally, as if making sure they were still alive and well. 

Max, the fiery haired girl, was smirking at Lucas’s ranting, but keep giving these weird glances over to Mike Wheeler. It was a mixture of annoyance, guilt, and something else. Robin wondered if they had a fight earlier or something. 

Eleven was sitting pressed against Chief Hopper, and their hands were interlocked. He was speaking low and steady to her, and she looked at him with this adoring, wide-eyed look. It was such a pure moment, Robin felt a lump form in her throat. She couldn’t wait until she got home to her own dad.

Nancy and Jonathan were suiting up with weapons and supplies in a way that looked way too normal for them. Robin reminded herself that they were about the same age, and tried to shake off the high school stereotypes she had pegged on them. 

Nancy obviously wasn’t just a preppy girl. Jonathan wasn’t just the quiet weird kid. They were monster hunters.

Joyce Byers, having already reunited with her sons, was with the weird balding guy. Murphy? Murdock? Murray. They seemed to be planning something, and Robin noted the cigarette in her hand. She thought she would be smoking too if her kids were caught up in this shit. 

Mike was talking in a group with Will and Dustin. Mainly, it was Mike and Dustin explaining what had been going on, with their volume and wild gesticulating. Will commented here and there, but mostly just smiled fondly at his friends.

Will Byers. His skin was tinted with just a twinge of paleness, as if he wasn’t able to shake whatever they had seen. Robin looked closer, and saw the way his fingers twitched occasionally, like an anxious tic. She was familiar with those herself. He seemed almost incapable of standing still, having to shift or rock ever so often. His eyes shot to the exits and windows every few minutes, either planning an escape route or watching out for intruders.

But most of all Robin, noticed the way he looked at Mike. A crush. It was resigned in a way, like he had accepted long ago that nothing would come of it. Knowing nothing would happen, but still being intensely fond for that person. Robin was way too familiar with that feeling. 

Everything clicked in her mind. The way she had been so intrigued by him, wanting to know more, wanting to understand. Something had gone off like a siren in her head, calling her to him.

Apparently the feeling was mutual. Will suddenly locked eyes with her. She expected him to look away, but he continued to look, and tilted his head just slightly. Robin gave him a smile, and tried to embed her look with understanding and openness. His eyes lit up in a way that told her that he understood too, and he smiled back at her. Some of the color came back to his face. 

Before anything could come of the interaction, it was suddenly time to go. 

And so the battle began.

——

It was a week after the incident before Robin saw the kids again. Steve invited her to the Byers house for a group dinner. It was apparently a thing they did to make sure everyone was doing well after the events they had dealt with.

When Steve pulled up to the house, Robin noticed a weird shape patched into the wall. 

“What’s that?” 

Steve looked at the spot where a hole had been, and back to her.

“Long story. The upside down and axes were involved. There’s a few weird spots in the house, it’s best to avoid asking what made them.” 

He left it at that.

They walked in to an intense game of D&D in the living room. The boys were all dressed up, sitting around the coffee table. Max sat next to Lucas, a weird headpiece perched on her hair, looking like a disgruntled cat. Eleven was dressed up more, with an intricate braid woven into her hair, flowers stuck in haphazardly, a long dress on. She was staring at Mike intently as he waved his hands around, telling some story in relation to the game. 

Nancy turned around in the kitchen, where she was hovering awkwardly behind Jonathan and Joyce, who were cooking, and smiled at the two of them. 

“Steve, Robin, hi!” she said, bringing the attention in the room towards the two. Everyone greeted them, then got back to what they were doing. 

Robin felt nervous, and a little out of place in the room full of people who all knew each other well. She was a definite outsider. Usually, she hid behind her discomfort with sarcasm and feigned indifference. But it was different with this group, and she wanted to be more herself. 

She anxiously messed with her high, messy ponytail, and shifted her chain necklaces around her neck. Steve seemed to notice her anxious tics, and gave her a comforting smile. He guided them to the couch behind the kids, and flopped down on it.

“So nerds, what’s going on now? Did Will the Wise ever make it to that one town with the wizard dude?” Steve asked, squinting at the items spread across the table. Robin couldn’t make sense of any of it.

“He almost did, but he fell in a booby trap in the last room of the Cave of Alcatrene. He’s been stuck there for a day, but Dustin’s on his way to help him,” replied Mike. 

“Dude that sucks, good luck with that,” Steve said to Will, who nodded solemnly. 

Robin watched the game play out for a few minutes before leaning over to Steve.

“I have no idea what’s going on.”

“It takes a while to get the gist of it,” he laughed, “but it’s basically a big fantasy story led by Mike. They go on these adventures and deal with events, which can be good or bad.” 

The description was vague, but gave her enough information to better follow along with the story. 

During a bathroom break, she complimented Eleven’s hair and she beamed back at Robin, taking a flower from her own hair and giving it to her. 

Robin was just glad to see her happy.

The game went on for a while longer, before dinner was served, and everyone piled around the dinner table. Chairs were pulled from the living room and bedrooms to accommodate everyone, and they all squeezed in to fit. Max and Eleven shared a chair, but they seemed fine with it. 

Robin went to the bathroom partway through, and peeked in the bedrooms while she was down the hallway. She briefly stepped into Jonathan’s room, boyish with a few of Nancy’s clothes tossed around, and Joyce’s room, which was the smallest. The last room seemed to be shared by Will and Eleven, who had been informally adopted by Joyce. A bunk bed was set in the corner of the room, seemingly new if the imprints in the carpet from another bed were any indication. The room was definitely full of Will’s things, with fantasy drawings and figurines, but a few girly things were spread around as well.

She backed out of the doorway and went to head back to the table, when she saw Will watching her from his seat. Robin flushed, embarrassed to be caught, but he just smiled at her and turned back towards his food.

After dinner, Steve started chatting with Nancy, Joyce, and Jonathan while the kids went back to their game. Max dipped out, claiming she was bored. It was unspoken knowledge that she needed to get home before her mother freaked out. Mrs. Hargrove had gotten skittish about Max’s safety after losing Billy.

Robin decided to watch the game, as it had gotten more interesting the longer she watched. 

“Ah shit, where’s the dragon figurine,” Dustin asked the group while digging through a box. Will groaned, and everyone turned to him.

“I totally left it in Castle Byers.”

There was a pause, and an unspoken tension that Robin didn’t understand. 

“Do you think you could still find it? It was pretty messed up,” Lucas said cautiously, making eye contact with Mike.

“Yeah. I went back and cleaned up a bit. But I’m not going out there alone,” Will replied, clearing his throat nervously. 

No one jumped to volunteer. Mike had Eleven sleeping with her head resting on his leg. Judging by the dark circles under her eyes, no one would be willing to wake her. Understandably. Lucas avoided eye contact, and Dustin was still focused on digging through the box beside him. 

“I’ll go with you,” Robin piped up, eager to have a one-on-one interaction with Will. There was a lot of unspoken communication between them, and she wanted to get it out in the open. He smiled, and led them outside and into the woods nearby. Dusk was beginning to settle around them, but it was still light enough to navigate through the trees.

“So, I guess I should formally introduce myself. I don’t think a few half second meetings at Scoops and moments before battling a giant monster really counts. I’m Robin, I’m 17, I like band and rock music and being a sarcastic piece of shit. Nice to meet you.”

Will laughed at her comment, tucking his hair behind his ear, and stepping over a tree root.

“Everyone in there is a sarcastic piece of shit, you’ll fit in fine. I’m Will, though you probably know a lot about me from the news and from Steve. I like to draw and listen to rock music and play D&D. Obviously.”

“Well it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Robin responded, lightly punching his shoulder.

They were quiet for the rest of the walk, before reaching the deconstructed Castle Byers. 

“Woah, what happened here? Looks like a tornado went through it,” Robin commented, tapping a stray piece of wood with her toe. Will adopted a sheepish expression, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Uh... that was me. I had a fight with Mike and came here and kinda... lost it,” he said, beginning to pick through the mess. Robin let him work, and sat down on a nearby tree stump.

“What was the fight about? If you don’t mind me asking,” Robin replied, absentmindedly picking the bark off the side of the stump. Will stiffened, before sighing. 

“In the days leading up to the battle, I was getting ignored a lot. Well, all summer really. Max and Lucas were always together and Mike and Eleven couldn’t stop making out to even remember they had friends,” Will said bitterly. 

“All I wanted was to play games like we used to. When it was just us four boys. Don’t get me wrong, I love El and Max but... it’s a big change.”

Robin hummed in agreement, letting Will collect his thoughts before he continued.

“Mike and I fought because I was fed up and exploded on him. He asked if I expected us to never grow up. Of course I did, but I was hoping we could grow up and still do the same things. I guess I really didn’t account girlfriends into things.” The last sentence was said breathlessly, as if on the cusp of a huge secret. He made eye contact with her, which she held, and she could see the determination gather in his eyes.

“He said to me ‘it’s not my fault you don’t like girls’. He used my biggest secret, something I’ve only confided in him about, against me.” 

The last words were said with finality and strong eye contact. The bravery of Will, despite the shakiness in his tone, lit something in Robin’s chest. Pride, connection, and her own bravery.

“I’m sorry that happened Will. Your friends shouldn’t treat you that way. It’s hard when you grow up and things change. And Mike shouldn’t have used that against you. It sucks when you trust a person with a secret like that and they don’t honor it,” Robin responded, before steeling herself.

“I’m gay. I like girls. And I’d never told anyone before, but I told Steve the night of the battle. I can imagine how I’d feel if he used that against me.”

“Of all people, I can understand the most,” Robin stated. Will looked at her with relief, and giddiness.

“I’m gay too,” he declared, then paused.

“Wow. I’ve never actually said that out loud before. I... when I saw you at Starcourt, that night, I just knew somehow that you were like me. I’m glad Steve became friends with you. And that you were willing to fight with us.”

“I knew it too, when I met eyes with you. Crazy how that worked, huh?” Robin snorted softly, and Will nodded.

“And I’m glad I met you guys too. Even though this monster shit is absolutely crazy, I know you guys are strong enough to handle it,” Robin smiled.

Will returned her grin, before digging around some more and finding the missing figurine.

They started their walk back, but at a leisurely pace.

“So then... can I ask you something?” Will said hesitantly. He played with his fingers nervously.

“Yeah of course dude, anytime.”

“Have you ever... had a crush on a girl? But you knew she didn’t feel the same way?”

Robin immediately assumed he was talking about Mike. Judging by the looks Will gave him. 

“Of course. I’ve spent my whole life having crushes on girls who I know won’t like me back. Even if they were gay, I figured I wouldn’t be able to tell. I assumed I’d just end up alone,” Robin replied wistfully. The words seemed to bum Will out, but she quickly turned it around.

“But hey. We found each other right? So I think there probably is a way to find other people. I think we’ll find people to love. It’s just that this town is too damn small and close-minded,” she grumbled, kicking a rock. Will nodded in agreement, and paused again.

“How did you deal with it though? Because it hurts a lot,” Will added. The sad look on his face made Robin stop in her tracks, him following suit. 

“It’s gonna hurt. There no way around that. But you have to deal with that emotion the right way. I let my crush on a girl fester into hatred for Steve because she liked him. Which wasn’t fair to him. It’d be like you hating Eleven because you like Mike,” Robin stated resolutely. Will’s eyes got wide, surprised that she knew who his crush was.

“It’s not obvious, but I could tell, if you were wondering. But the point is, as hard as it is to accept, their feelings won’t change. It’d be like asking you to like girls. So you’ll have to accept that. And if you need to rant or cry or scream, you can come to me, okay? I’ll be here to listen and to help, okay?” she continued. 

Will stared at her, tears and an intense look in his eyes. 

“Thank you Robin. Seriously, just... thank you,” he whispered. Before she could respond, he moved forward and wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back around his shoulders, and they stood there for a few moments. Will finally pulled back, wiping his eyes, and laughing a bit.

“You're welcome kid. Now let’s head back before they send out another search party alright? Your mom’ll kill me.”

They walked back, talking about random things like music and their favorite films. When they stepped back into the house, they were laughing, Robin’s arm slung around Will’s shoulder.

Everyone stopped to stare at the two of them, surprised that Will had warmed up so quickly to the new girl. Joyce was smiling brightly, but Nancy and Jonathan were giving the two a confused look. The 3 boys were blinking, and giving each other glances, but didn’t say a word. Steve just gave Robin a fond grin. 

“Alright, found the dragon. Who’s ready to slay this bitch?” Will asks, breaking the awkward silence and making the boys laugh. 

Joyce called a half-hearted ‘Language!’ from the kitchen, but her smile seeped into her tone. Robin plopped back down next to Steve, looking over to see him watching her.

“What dingus? Did you go brain dead while I was gone? Sorry, for taking all the brain cells with me.” 

He retaliated by smacking her lightly on the back of the head. She jabbed him in the stomach, making him keel over, and cackled at her victory. He sat back up with a glare. 

“Shut up, no. Just wondering how you and Will got so close on just one trip out to the woods,” Steve wondered. She looked knowingly at the boy in question, whose wizard hat was back on. 

“Just got to talking. Shared some secrets. Turns out we have a lot more in common than you’d think,” she said mystically. Steve, who was too intuitive for his own good, picked right up on her implication.

“Oh. Ohhh. That makes sense.”

“Yep.”

“Well,” Steve paused, and looked back at her with a protective gaze, ”You better take good care of him.”

Robin held the eye contact, before looking back to Will with a smile.

“I will.”

**Author's Note:**

> I neeeeed this to be real
> 
> Sorry if they’re ooc, I feel like I don’t know how to write Robin? Lemme know what you think
> 
> Love you all!!!!


End file.
